In the "Ask Linda" columns I answer questions from readers who are uncertain how to proceed correctly under the Rules of Golf. No names are used – all questioners are referred to as Lulu (or Lou, in the case of male writers), in honor of the smart and sassy comic character.
Please send questions from your personal golf experiences to: llmillergolf@gmail.com.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Ask Linda #1316-Fox moves ball

Hi Linda,

I was playing in an inter-club singles match. My opponent
drove off the tee and her ball was seen heading off the fairway into a lightly
wooded area. My caddy was first on the scene to find the ball unplayable amongst
tree roots. While awaiting the arrival of my opponent and her caddy, a young
fox had been attracted to the ball and had started to play with it. By the time
the fox was scared away, the ball was no longer in the original unplayable
position and my opponent was able to play the ball back onto the fairway,
unimpeded, which she proceeded to do, having taken advice from a rules
official.

Was that ruling correct or should the ball have been
returned to its original unplayable position?

Many thanks.

Lulu from Edinburgh

Dear Lulu,

What could be simpler or more straightforward than Rule
18-1: “If a ball at rest is moved by an outside agency, there is no penalty and
the ball must be replaced.” There was a witness to both the original lie of the
ball and the shenanigans of the fox; there was no question whether the ball had
been moved by an outside agency. Shame on the official for not knowing such a
basic Rule.

You should have filed a claim on the spot [Rule 2-5], and
settled the matter at the end of your round with the Committee (if you didn’t
have the time or felt too flustered to find and show the Rule to the official).
Filing a claim gives you the opportunity to search your rulebook more
leisurely. There is no penalty for filing a claim that is overruled (which
would not have happened in your situation), and you would have won the hole.